The Power of Squash in Git

As a programmer, you may have encountered a situation where you end up with multiple commits, each with only small changes. These changes may all belong to a single feature or bug fix, but they clutter up your Git history and make it difficult to understand the changes that were made. This is where Git squash comes in handy.

What is Squash?

Squash is a command in Git that allows you to condense multiple commits into a single commit. This is useful when you have made several small commits that could be grouped together under a single commit, making the Git history cleaner and easier to navigate.

The squash command works by taking the changes made in multiple commits and applying them in a single commit. This means that the final commit will have the same changes as all the squashed commits combined.

When to Use Squash?

Squash is best used when you have made several small commits that could be grouped together under a single commit. This is often the case when you are working on a feature or bug fix and have made several small changes along the way. By squashing these commits, you can make it easier for other developers to understand the changes that were made.

How to Use Squash?

Squashing commits is a simple process that can be done in a few steps:

1. First, make sure you are on the branch you want to squash commits on.

2. Run the command git log to view the commit history.

3. Note down the hash keys of the commits you want to squash.

4. Run the command git rebase -i HEAD~ followed by the number of commits you want to squash. For example, if you want to squash the last three commits, you should run the command git rebase -i HEAD~3.

5. You will be presented with an interactive menu that allows you to edit the commits. Change the word 'pick' to 'squash' for the commits you want to squash.

6. Save and close the file.

7. Git will now squash the commits and present you with an editor to create a commit message for the new, squashed commit.

8. Save and close the file, and the squashed commit will be created.

Conclusion

Squashing commits is a useful feature in Git that allows you to condense multiple commits into a single commit. This can make your Git history cleaner and easier to navigate, especially when working on a feature or bug fix. By using the steps outlined above, you can easily squash commits in Git and keep your history clean and understandable.